This invention relates to a column packing filled in a device which is divided in a plurality of chambers or channels connected to one another and performs material transfer, heat exchange or mixing between gases, liquids or gas and liquid. The invention relates also to a method for manufacturing such column packing.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. Hei 3-203976 discloses a column packing of this type. This column packing a made up of a plurality of permeable sheets which are disposed in parallel to one another and extend in the direction of a main stream of fluid. Projecting portions of these permeable sheets are disposed in the direction that crosses the main stream of fluid and these projections functions as spacers between the adjacent permeable sheets. This packing (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cX-packingxe2x80x9d because the cross section of a joint portion between two adjacent permeable sheets assumes the shape of the letter X) is beneficial in that fluid flowing down along the permeable sheets is repeatedly joined, mixed, horizontally dispersed and redistributed at each joint of the permeable sheets. Thus fluid flow which was not uniform when it was charged in the device gradually becomes uniform resulting in an optimum material transfer or heat exchange. Moreover, gas charged in the device passes through the liquid flowing along the inclined surfaces of the permeable sheets and necessary contact between the gas and the liquid is achieved by contacting the gas with the liquid while the gas passes through the permeable sheets, so that material transfer or heat exchange can be effected efficiently with a minimum pressure loss.
For manufacturing this X-packing, the inventor of this application proposed the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,726. According to this method, as shown in FIG. 22, permeable sheets 51 in plural layers and joints 51b of adjacent permeable sheets 51 are simultaneously produced and a three-dimensional woven packing 50 thereby is produced.
In a case where this X-packing manufactured by the above described prior art method is used as a packing loaded in, e.g., a gas-liquid mixing device, the packing 50 of FIG. 22 is erected in the device and liquid from a distributor is caused to flow from the top to the bottom, i.e., in the direction of arrow A. It is, however, actually difficult to maintain the packing 50 strictly horizontally in the device by reason of an error in installation or other causes and, as a result, the threads that run crosswise of the separated portions 51a and the joints 51b of the packing 50 are disposed in a somewhat inclined relationship to the horizontal direction. For this reason, when the operation of the device is started and liquid is caused to flow in the direction of the arrow A, the liquid flows concentrically along a lower portion of the threads that run crosswise with the result that collection, horizontal distribution and downward redistribution of the liquid are not performed uniformly but flow of the liquid tends to concentrate on the lower portion of the inclined threads running crosswise.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an X-packing capable of accurately achieving uniform collection and redistribution of liquid at joints of the X-packing.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for manufacturing such X-packing at a low cost and in a large scale.
For achieving these objects of the invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a packing made of a three-dimensional net-like structure which constitutes an internal structure of a device which performs material transfer, heat exchange or mixing between gases, liquids or gas and liquid, said internal structure being divided in a plurality of chambers or channels connected to one another and said three-dimensional net-like structure being formed by conversion and dispersion of four line elements, said method comprising steps of:
(A) disposing first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a first direction on a plane and second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a second direction which is different from the first direction on the same plane in such a manner that the first line elements cross the second line elements at a desired angle and the first and second line elements are laid one upon the other;
(B) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at crossing points thereof and thereby forming a net;
(C) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions which bulge at alternate ones of the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction and thereby forming an undulating net;
(D) laying a second layer of the undulating net upon a first layer of the undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the first layer of the undulating net alternately come into contact with and separate from the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the second layer of the undulating net and thereafter fixing together the crossing points of the first layer of the undulating net and the second layer of the undulating net which are in contact with each other; and
(E) laying a third layer of the undulating net upon the second layer of the undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the second layer of the undulating net alternately come into contact with and separate from the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the third layer of the undulating net and thereafter fixing together the crossing points of the second layer of the undulating net and the third layer of the undulating net which are in contact with each other; and thereafter superposing a fourth, a fifth . . . and n-th (n being any integer) layer of the undulating nets in the same manner and fixing together the crossing points of the respective layers of the undulating nets and the immediately lower layers of the undulating nets which are in contact with each other.
According to the manufacturing method, a packing 1 as shown in the schematic perspective view of FIG. 1 can be obtained. This packing 1 has, as shown in the partial perspective view of FIG. 2, has a unit structure 2 which is a combination of two quadruple pyramids which as a common base and apexes which are directed in the opposite directions. The three-dimensional net-like structure is formed by disposing a plurality of the unit structures 2 in vertical and horizontal directions. As will be apparent from FIG. 2, in this unit structure 2, four line elements 3 constitute four sides of the respective quadruple pyramids and respective apexes 2a of the two quadruple pyramids and joints 2b of the two quadruple pyramids are formed by conversion and dispersion of four line elements. Accordingly, no element corresponding to the horizontal threads in the prior art X-packing is used at all in this unit structure 2.
Accordingly, by using the packing 1 manufactured by the method of the invention in a device such as a gas-liquid contact device, liquid from a distributor flows in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1 and, since no element corresponding to the horizontal threads is used in the packing 1, the liquid which has fallen upon the top of the packing 1 does not produce a drift which is caused by flow of the liquid toward a laterally lower portion even if there is an error in installing the packing 1 in the device and, therefore, collection and downward redistribution of the liquid at the two vertical apexes 2a and joints 2b of the two quadruple pyramids of the unit structure 2 are performed uniformly.
For achieving the objects of the invention, there is also provided a method for manufacturing a packing made of a three-dimensional net-like structure which constitutes an internal structure of a device which performs material transfer, heat exchange or mixing between gases, liquids or gas and liquid, said internal structure being divided in a plurality of chambers or channels connected to one another and said three-dimensional net-like structure being formed by conversion and dispersion of three line elements, said method comprising:
(A) a step of forming a first undulating net comprising the following steps (a), (b) and (c):
(a) disposing first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a first direction on a plane and second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a second direction which is different from the first direction on the same plane in such a manner that the first line elements cross the second line elements at a desired angle and are superposed one upon the other;
(b) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at crossing points thereof and thereby forming a net; and
(c) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions and thereby forming a first undulating net in such a manner that one of the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction constitutes a crossing point of the lowest level in forming of a unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the lowest level constitutes a crossing point of a lower side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the lower side middle level constitutes a crossing point of an upper side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the upper side middle level constitutes a crossing point of the lower side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the lower side middle level constitutes a crossing point of the lowest level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, and subsequent crossing points constitute crossing points of the respective levels in the above cycle in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure;
(B) a step of forming a second undulating net comprising the following steps (a), (b) and (c):
(a) disposing
first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the first direction on a plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in a third direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the second direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the first direction, the third direction, the second direction and the third direction, and
second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the second direction on the plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in the third direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the first direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the second direction, the third direction, the first direction and the third direction
in such a manner that the first line elements and the second line elements cross each other at the desired angle in their portions extending in the first or second direction at positions corresponding to the crossing points of the upper side middle level of the first undulating net and extend jointly one being laid upon the other in their portions extending in the third direction;
(b) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at the respective crossing points thereof and also at joining points and separating points of their portions extending in the third direction and thereby forming a net; and
(c) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions which bulge at the respective crossing points and also at middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction and thereby constitute the upper side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, and thereby forming a second undulating net;
(C) a step of forming a third undulating net comprising the following steps (a), (b) and (c):
(a) disposing
first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the third direction on a plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in the second direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the first direction, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the third direction, the second direction, the third direction and the first direction, and
second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the third direction on the plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in the first direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the second direction, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the third direction, first direction, the third direction and the second direction
in such a manner that the first line elements and the second line elements cross each other at the desired angle in their portions extending in the first or second direction at positions corresponding to middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net and extend jointly one being laid upon the other in their portions extending in the third direction;
(b) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at the crossing points thereof and also at joining points and separating points of their portions extending in the third direction and thereby forming a net; and
(c) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions which bulge at the respective joining and separating points of the portions extending in the third direction and thereby constitute the highest level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, and thereby forming a third undulating net;
(D) a step of laying the second undulating net upon the first undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points of the second undulating net come into contact with the crossing points of the upper middle level of the first undulating net, the joining points and the separating points of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net come into contact with the crossing points of the lower middle level of the first undulating net, and the undulating bulging portions at the middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net are separated from the crossing points of the lowest level of the first undulating net and form the upper middle level of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure;
(E) a step of laying the third undulating net upon the second undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points of the third undulating net come into contact with the undulating bulging portions at the middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net, the portions extending in the third direction of the third undulating net come into contact, at their middle positions, with the crossing points of the second undulating net, and the undulating bulging portions at the joining points and the separating points of the portions extending in the third direction of the third undulating net are separated from the second undulating net and form the highest level of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure; and
(F) a step of fixing the first undulating net, the second undulating net and the third undulating net together at necessary points among points of contact thereof.
According to this manufacturing method, a packing 30 as shown in the schematic perspective view of FIG. 3 can be obtained. This packing 30 has, as shown in the partial perspective view of FIG. 4, a unit structure 32 which is a combination of three triangular pyramids 33 each having an apex 33a and three sides 33b and three triangular pyramids 34 each having an apex 34a directed in the opposite direction to the apex 33a and three sides 34b. The three-dimensional net-like structure is formed by disposing a plurality of the unit structures 32 in vertical and horizontal directions.
In the unit structure 32, the respective sides 33b and 34b are formed with line elements. More specifically, three line elements constitute the three sides 33b and 34b of the triangular pyramids 33 and 34 and the apexes 33a and 34a of the respective triangular pyramids and joints 35 of the sides of the respective triangular pyramids are formed by conversion and dispersion of three line elements. In this unit structure 32 either, no element corresponding to the horizontal threads is provided at all and, therefore, the same effect as the one described above with respect to the unit structure 2 can be achieved. That is, liquid flows in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 3 and collection and downward redistribution of the liquid at the apexes 33a and 34a and the joints 35 of the triangular pyramids 33 and 34 of the unit structure 32 are performed uniformly.
The present invention can be applied not only to the colum packing used in devices such as a gas-liquid mixing device but also to manufactring of other three-dimensional net-like structure such as ones used for a mist eliminator, a multi-layer filtering film and aggregate.
In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional net-like structure including a mist eliminator and a multi-layer filtering film formed by conversion and dispersion of four line elements, said method comprising steps of:
(A) disposing first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a first direction on a plane and second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a second direction which is different from the first direction on the same plane in such a manner that the first line elements cross the second line elements at a desired angle and the first and second line elements are laid one upon the other;
(B) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at crossing points thereof and thereby forming a net;
(C) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions which bulge at alternate ones of the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction and thereby forming an undulating net;
(D) laying a second layer of the undulating net upon a first layer of the undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the first layer of the undulating net alternately come into contact with and separate from the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the second layer of the undulating net and thereafter fixing together the crossing points of the first layer of the undulating net and the second layer of the undulating net which are in contact with each other; and
(E) laying a third layer of the undulating net upon the second layer of the undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the second layer of the undulating net alternately come into contact with and separate from the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction of the third layer of the undulating net and thereafter fixing together the crossing points of the second layer of the undulating net and the third layer of the undulating net which are in contact with each other; and thereafter superposing a fourth, a fifth . . . and n-th (n being any integer) layer of the undulating nets in the same manner and fixing together the crossing points of the respective layers of the undulating nets and the immediately lower layers of the undulating nets which are in contact with each other.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional net-like structure including a mist eliminator and a multi-layer filtering film formed by conversion and dispersion of three line elements, said method comprising:
(A) a step of forming a first undulating net comprising the following steps (a), (b) and (c):
(a) disposing first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a first direction on a plane and second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in a second direction which is different from the first direction on the same plane in such a manner that the first line elements cross the second line elements at a desired angle and are superposed one upon the other;
(b) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at crossing points thereof and thereby forming a net; and
(c) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions and thereby forming a first undulating net in such a manner that one of the crossing points continuously formed in the first direction and the second direction constitutes a crossing point of the lowest level in forming of a unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the lowest level constitutes a crossing point of a lower side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the lower side middle level constitutes a crossing point of an upper side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the upper side middle level constitutes a crossing point of the lower side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, a crossing point adjacent to the crossing point of the lower side middle level constitutes a crossing point of the lowest level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like strucuture, and subsequent crossing points constitute crossing points of the respective levels in the above cycle in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure;
(B) a step of forming a second undulating net comprising the following steps (a), (b) and (c):
(a) disposing
first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the first direction on a plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in a third direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the second direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the first direction, the third direction, the second direction and the third direction, and
second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the second direction on the plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in the third direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the first direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the second direction, the third direction, the first direction and the third direction
in such a manner that the first line elements and the second line elements cross each other at the desired angle in their portions extending in the first or second direction at positions corresponding to the crossing points of the upper side middle level of the first undulating net and extend jointly one being laid upon the other in their portions extending in the third direction;
(b) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at the respective crossing points thereof and also at joining points and separating points of their portions extending in the third direction and thereby forming a net; and
(c) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions which bulge at the respective crossing points and also at middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction and thereby constitute the upper side middle level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, and thereby forming a second undulating net;
(C) a step of forming a third undulating net comprising the following steps (a), (b) and (c):
(a) disposing
first line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the third direction on a plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in the second direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the first direction, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the third direction, the second direction, the third direction and the first direction, and
second line elements extending in parallel at a predetermined interval in the third direction on the plane, bending at a position corresponding to one of the crossing points of the lower side middle level of the first undulating net at a predetermined angle and extending in the first direction, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle point of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the third direction again, bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and extending in the second direction, and bending at a position corresponding to the next lower side middle level of the first undulating net at the predetermined angle and repeating the cycle of extending in the third direction, first direction, the third direction and the second direction
in such a manner that the first line elements and the second line elements cross each other at the desired angle in their portions extending in the first or second direction at positions corresponding to middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net and extend jointly one being laid upon the other in their portions extending in the third direction;
(b) fixing the first line elements to the second line elements at the crossing points thereof and also at joining points and separating points of their portions extending in the third direction and thereby forming a net; and
(c) pressing the net to form a plurality of parallel undulating bulging portions which bulge at the respective joining and separating points of the portions extending in the third direction and thereby constitute the highest level in forming of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure, and thereby forming a third undulating net;
(D) a step of laying the second undulating net upon the first undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points of the second undulating net come into contact with the crossing points of the upper middle level of the first undulating net, the joining points and the separating points of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net come into contact with the crossing points of the lower middle level of the first undulating net, and the undulating bulging portions at the middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net are separated from the crossing points of the lowest level of the first undulating net and form the upper middle level of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure;
(E) a step of laying the third undulating net upon the second undulating net in such a manner that the crossing points of the third undulating net come into contact with the undulating bulging portions at the middle positions of the portions extending in the third direction of the second undulating net, the portions extending in the third direction of the third undulating net come into contact, at their middle positions, with the crossing points of the second undulating net, and the undulating bulging portions at the joining points and the separating points of the portions extending in the third direction of the third undulating net are separated from the second undulating net and form the highest level of the unit three-dimensional net-like structure; and
(F) a step of fixing the first undulating net, the second undulating net and the third undulating net together at necessary points among points of contact thereof.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a packing made of a three-dimensional net-like structure which constitutes an internal structure of a device which performs material transfer, heat exchange or mixing between gases, liquids or gas and liquid, said internal structure being divided in a plurality of chambers or channels connected to one another and said three-dimensional net-like structure being formed by conversion and dispersion of four line elements wherein a converging portion of the four line elements is formed by mutual contact of undulating nets having parallel undulating bulging portions at necessary portions.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a packing made of a three-dimensional net-like structure which constitutes an internal structure of a device which performs material transfer, heat exchange or mixing between gases, liquids or gas and liquid, said internal structure being divided in a plurality of chambers or channels connected to one another and said three-dimensional net-like structure being formed by conversion and dispersion of three line elements wherein a converging portion of the three line elements is formed by mutual contact of undulating nets having parallel undulating bulging portions at necessary portions.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a three-dimensional net-like structure including a mist eliminator and a multi-layer filtering film formed by conversion and dispersion of four line elements wherein a converging portion of the four line elements is formed by mutual contact of undulating nets having parallel undulating bulging portions at necessary portions.
In still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a three-dimensional net-like structure including a mist eliminator and a multi-layer filtering film formed by conversion and dispersion of three line elements wherein a converging portion of the three line elements is formed by mutual contact of undulating nets having parallel undulating bulging portions at necessary portions.